THE FIGHT WITH APOLLYON
67
not against me, O mine enemy. When I fall, I shall arise!"
With that, he gave the fiend a deadly thrust which made him pause and start back. Then Christian gave him another stroke and another.
Apollyon saw that he had met his match. He spread his dragon wings and flew away, over the plain; and Christian saw him no more.
The pilgrim looked up and smiled. "Thanks be to Him that delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, and to Him that did help me against Apollyon," he said.
Then there came to him a hand with some of the leaves of the tree of life; and he took these and laid them upon his wounds, and he was healed immediately. And he sat down to eat bread and to drink from the bottle that was given him by the maidens of the House Beautiful.
